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Crispy and saucy chicken thighs cooked in a skillet with a creamy white wine sauce and bacon make this meal a go-to for dinner.
Oh how I love one skillet meals – from chicken paprikash to chicken enchilada skillet.
I’m not going to lie, I used to be against chicken thighs. I didn’t really have a good reason but as I’ve cooked more and more over the years, I’ve realized just how great chicken thighs are.
And that is especially true with this skillet chicken made with a creamy wine sauce. Thigh meat is meat to be seared at a high temp to get a crispy skin and then slow cooked so you get nice and juicy chicken.
Oh and it doesn’t hurt that the sauce is out of this world. Yes just a few ingredients can make a delicious sauce. The smoky bacon, sweet onion, wine and cream just produce something magical.
That is the great thing about cooking and especially comfort cooking. And this chicken with white wine sauce is my go-to comfort meal at the moment. After one bite, it will be yours as well!
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Recipe Ingredients
- Bacon – adds a smoky flavor to the sauce.
- All-purpose flour – adds some crispiness to the chicken and thickens the sauce.
- Italian seasoning – can also use a combination of dried thyme, oregano, basil and rosemary.
- Salt and black pepper – enhances the flavor.
- Chicken thighs – want bone-in with skin to get juicy but crispy chicken.
- Sweet onion and garlic – adds flavor to the sauce.
- Dry white wine – use your favorite wine.
- Heavy cream – can also use half-and-half or whole milk in a pinch for this white wine chicken.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add bacon. Cook until bacon is cooked and keep 2 tbsp of bacon grease.
- Dredge chicken in flour mixed with spices.
- Cook the chicken in skillet and transfer to plate.
- Add the onion, cooking until translucent and then add garlic with 30 seconds left.
- Deglaze with wine, simmering for 5 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken and bacon back.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Spoon some sauce over top and add some fresh basil or parsley for garnish.
Homemade Italian Seasoning
If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can make your own. Just use even amounts of dried basil, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, cilantro, thyme, savory and red pepper flakes.
Sauce Substitutions
If you don’t have wine you can just replace with low-sodium chicken stock. While the cream is important, you can use whole milk or half-and-half if needed.
Side Dish Suggestions
This white wine chicken would go great with some pasta, mashed potatoes or even polenta.
As far as vegetables, roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts or carrots complement the dish well.
Best Cast Iron Skillet
For this as well as many other recipes such as my lemon chicken piccata, I use a Lodge cast iron skillet. It’s surprisingly affordable and will last years if you take care of it.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use chicken thighs as it contributes to the richness of the dish. However if you only have chicken breasts, it will work as well.
- Use quality dry white wine to deglaze the pan. You want a wine you’d be willing to drink as it adds flavor and acidity to the sauce.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
Similar Recipes
- Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken
- Chicken Saltimbocca
- Maple Glazed Chicken
- Balsamic Peach Chicken
- Chicken with Garlic Herb Butter Sauce
If you’ve tried this chicken with white wine sauce or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I’m up to.
Chicken with White Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz bacon, diced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, with skin
- 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add bacon. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until bacon is cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep 2 tbsp of the bacon grease in the skillet.
- In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with the Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper. Dredge the chicken thighs in the flour and add to the skillet. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onion to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the wine and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom to get the browned bits. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken and bacon back to the skillet and bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Spoon some sauce over top and add some fresh basil or parsley for garnish.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs as it contributes to the richness of the dish. However if you only have chicken breasts, it will work as well.
- Use quality dry white wine to deglaze the pan. You want a wine you’d be willing to drink as it adds flavor and acidity to the sauce.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
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